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Little progress seen on Interstate 759 project

Published: Sunday, November 11, 2012 at 9:57 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, November 11, 2012 at 10:00 p.m.

Gadsden Councilman Billy Harris doesn’t think he will live to see Interstate 759 connected to U.S. Highway 431 and U.S. Highway 278.

Harris, 68, expressed his frustration at Thursday’s meeting of the Gadsden-Etowah Metropolitan Planning Organization, at which Alabama Department of Transportation officials gave updates on local highway projects, at the lack of progress on the I-759 project.

ALDOT officials said the Federal Highway Administration continues to ask the department to look at other possible “avoidance alternates” to the four proposed routes that were introduced at a public meeting eight years ago.

The project’s cost is about $100 million, and state officials have said funding currently isn’t available.

Harris, who represents a portion of East Gadsden that includes the proposed routes, asked what that meant in “layman’s terms.”

ALDOT Division One Engineer Johnny Harris said, “They’re trying to determine the most feasible way to go from 759 over to the 278 intersection with Meighan without impacting adversely the neighborhood, the historic districts and (the) community in general.”

The four routes would impact between 71 and 104 residences and up to four businesses, according to environmental impact studies done several years ago.

Johnny Harris said the FHWA has said the department “hasn’t done enough to justify one of those original alternates that we and the city had really agreed upon.”

He said FHWA wants to see more studies to justify those impacts, against what potentially could be done to avoid them.

“So it’s basically expanded the whole area,” Johnny Harris said, “and we’re to a point where ... what we’re having to consider is basically getting way outside what the original scope of work is.”

He said the department is “still trying to define the area to the point to where we know there is no feasible alternate other than coming back to where we were originally wanting to go.”

Asked if one option would be having the extension go through the Gadsden State Community College campus, which Billy Harris said the city and the college oppose, he said, “There’s nothing off the table.”

Billy Harris said all parties have agreed on a preferred route, but can’t get it approved.

“The thing that came out of the last meeting that we had,” he said, “was that this was the first time we’ve had a situation where all the citizens, the city, the state and everybody else is in agreement on a preferred route, and it hasn’t gone anywhere ... since we’ve said this is the preferred route. It continues to be kicked back and go back and go back.”

Billy Harris said the community doesn’t understand the eight-year delay.

“The people are becoming very, very discouraged, because we can’t tell them anything except you go ahead and continue your (lives) as if 759 is never going to come through here,” he said. “And that’s not really a good answer to give to anybody, that we don’t know, we have no idea.

“And when people are going to be impacted by that highway regardless of whatever route it takes, (they) deserve to know whether we’re going to do 759 or not,” he said. “That’s basically the bottom line — they want to know if we’re going to have a 759 in my lifetime, and in most of our lifetimes, completed to alleviate some of the problems we have in East Gadsden ... .”

Johnny Harris said, “Let me assure you the local department officials are behind you 100 percent.”

After the meeting, Billy Harris reiterated his frustration at the lack of progress. “It isn’t going anywhere, it’s at a dead standstill,” he said.

For an online interactive map of the routes, go to www.gadsdentimes.com/759proposal

<p>Gadsden Councilman Billy Harris doesn't think he will live to see Interstate 759 connected to U.S. Highway 431 and U.S. Highway 278.</p><p>Harris, 68, expressed his frustration at Thursday's meeting of the Gadsden-Etowah Metropolitan Planning Organization, at which Alabama Department of Transportation officials gave updates on local highway projects, at the lack of progress on the I-759 project.</p><p>ALDOT officials said the Federal Highway Administration continues to ask the department to look at other possible “avoidance alternates” to the four proposed routes that were introduced at a public meeting eight years ago.</p><p>The project's cost is about $100 million, and state officials have said funding currently isn't available.</p><p>Harris, who represents a portion of East Gadsden that includes the proposed routes, asked what that meant in “layman's terms.”</p><p>ALDOT Division One Engineer Johnny Harris said, “They're trying to determine the most feasible way to go from 759 over to the 278 intersection with Meighan without impacting adversely the neighborhood, the historic districts and (the) community in general.” </p><p>The four routes would impact between 71 and 104 residences and up to four businesses, according to environmental impact studies done several years ago. </p><p>Johnny Harris said the FHWA has said the department “hasn't done enough to justify one of those original alternates that we and the city had really agreed upon.” </p><p>He said FHWA wants to see more studies to justify those impacts, against what potentially could be done to avoid them.</p><p>“So it's basically expanded the whole area,” Johnny Harris said, “and we're to a point where ... what we're having to consider is basically getting way outside what the original scope of work is.” </p><p>He said the department is “still trying to define the area to the point to where we know there is no feasible alternate other than coming back to where we were originally wanting to go.”</p><p>Asked if one option would be having the extension go through the <a href="http://www.gadsdentimes.com/section/TOPIC0201/"><b>Gadsden State</b></a> Community College campus, which Billy Harris said the city and the college oppose, he said, “There's nothing off the table.”</p><p>Billy Harris said all parties have agreed on a preferred route, but can't get it approved.</p><p>“The thing that came out of the last meeting that we had,” he said, “was that this was the first time we've had a situation where all the citizens, the city, the state and everybody else is in agreement on a preferred route, and it hasn't gone anywhere ... since we've said this is the preferred route. It continues to be kicked back and go back and go back.”</p><p>Billy Harris said the community doesn't understand the eight-year delay. </p><p>“The people are becoming very, very discouraged, because we can't tell them anything except you go ahead and continue your (lives) as if 759 is never going to come through here,” he said. “And that's not really a good answer to give to anybody, that we don't know, we have no idea.</p><p>“And when people are going to be impacted by that highway regardless of whatever route it takes, (they) deserve to know whether we're going to do 759 or not,” he said. “That's basically the bottom line — they want to know if we're going to have a 759 in my lifetime, and in most of our lifetimes, completed to alleviate some of the problems we have in East Gadsden ... .”</p><p>Johnny Harris said, “Let me assure you the local department officials are behind you 100 percent.”</p><p>After the meeting, Billy Harris reiterated his frustration at the lack of progress. “It isn't going anywhere, it's at a dead standstill,” he said.</p><p>For an online interactive map of the routes, go to www.gadsdentimes.com/759proposal</p>